Automatically-threading shuttle



Dec. 8,1925. 1.564.910

' W. l. STIMPSON HIlMINIMUMIllHummm f ATTORNEY tion, in 'connection withthe accompanying' Patented Dec. `8, 1925.

UNITED STATE-s PATENT .o1-"FICE,

WALLACE I. sTIMP'soN, ornornpALn, MAssAcnpsnT'rs, AssrGNoRiTo'nRA-Pnncon- PoRATIoN, or HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A coRroRATroN or MAINE`-` p,

AUTOMATICALLY-THREADING SHUTTLE. u

Application filed J'ulyl 10,v 1925. Y Serial No. 42,753.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

A Be it known that I, VALLACEI. STrMrsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Hopedale, in the county ofl lvorcester4 and VState ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatically-ThreadingShuttles, of which the following descripdrawings, is a specification,like characters on the drawings representing like parts.'

This invention relates to automatically threading loom shuttles whichare replenished from time to time during the weaving operation.

It is now the usual practice to provide filling replenishing looms witha `hopper containing filling carriers or bobbins having` fillingthread-wound thereon, the ends of -which aresecured to aV fixed point,and^ to employ in connection therewith shuttles having means which seekto take control of the thread or thread the shuttle as it is picked, andthereafter prevent unthreading. The first of these problems has rpresented much difficulty and uncertainty due to the overhangs, guards,projections and the like, which have been employed to prevent subsequentunthreading.

l/Vhen the shuttle is picked followingreplenishing, the lay is backfromlthe position it occupied during replenishment, with the result thatthe overhangs, guards, and projections,y heretofore used and extending'from the sides of the thread passage, have interfered with the naturalswirling movenient of the thread as it is withdrawn from the'shuttle andoften prevented' the threading devices from securing control ofthethread, which would consequently break onthe return pick of the shuttle.In attempts to overcome this difficulty, the wood of the shuttle hasbeen grooved or cut away.

frontward of the threading block, and while such expedients havesucceeded to r some extent in securing partialthreading passage'open atits top at both sides of thelongitudinal axis of the shuttle andofferingpno obstruction to thev natural swirling action of the Ythreadat or adjacent to the` bobbin chamber', and as contributing to thepreliminary threading of the shuttle as it is picked following`replenishment and the permanency of thread control, the shuttle wood isprovidedy with a thread leader 'of novel construction extendingdiagonally from the tip of the shuttle tothe thread passage.`

In accordance with the 'present invention,

the threading block'has a thread;'directory at the front of theopen'thread passage which is provided with a thread catch cooperatingwith thefthre'ad leader to previ-antV unthreading `of the' shuttle 'bythel weft fork on the beat `up following replenish-l shuttle is inv thenon-rement when the Yplenishirrg box.

The invention andpnovel features thereof willbest bel made clear fromthe followingV description and the accompanying drawings of one goodform thereof.

In thedrawings: y l, Fig. l is a plan view of the threading end of ashuttle provided withthe present invention; H

Fig. f2v is a perspective view of some of the loom fparts and theshuttle, showing the relation thereof on the beat up folso f lowingreplenishment and during theaction of the weft fork; l Fig.'3 is a planview of a shuttle embodying the present invention, showing they shuttleasv being completely threaded;

Fig. -i is a frontend view of therthreading block showing the swirlingaction ofV the thread about either of two centersin the thread'p'assage;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on'the line Fig. 6 is an enlargedperspective view of the threading end of the shuttle showing the threadcatch andthe lead ofthe thread therefrom when the shuttle is partiallythreaded. l Y y K Y The shuttle body. 1 is preferably formed of wood andcontains the usual bobbin` chamber 2 open at the top and bottom forreplenishing purposes, as usual. Within the bobbin chamber 2 is thefilling carrier or bobbin 3, having the filling wound thereof theshuttle. '1 the threading on, and detachably held by the usual bobbinholding jaws (not shown) for filling replenishing purposes.

lFrontward of the vbobbin chamber 2n the shuttle is provided with athreading block receiving'chambere in which is secured the threadingblock 5 as by the usual crossbolt 6. Extending longitudinally of thethreading block 5 is the thread passage 7 which, as shown, is open atits top and offers no obstruction tothe swirling action of the thread asit is withdrawnfrom the filling carrieror bobbin during the iiight rliheside walls 8 and 9 of block extend upwardly Vfrom the base portion ofthe block at the sides of the block receiving chamber` si., at the sideof the shuttle adjacent thev side delivery eye 10V the threading blockis provided with a thread director 11,- the front end portion i 12 ofwhich is extended laterally of the threading 'block receiving chamber Llin a transverse direction relative tothe longitudinal axis of theshuttle. ,Y l

` The threading block 7 at the front is provided withawbridge 13, thecenter portion of which is depressedat 14 centrally of the Vshuttle orin the longitudinal axis thereof, and affords a gu-ide for the fillingthread a from the bridge throughthe side delivery eye 10, as indicatedin Fig. 3. Between thev front edge portion 15 of the thread directorVand the wood 16 of the shuttle, the usual passageway is provided forthe threadon its course to the side deliveryveye during completethreading of the shuttle. n The shuttle body 1 is provided with a threadleader17 which extendsfroni a point 18 at one side nearthe tip' end.,rportion of the shuttle vin a diagonal direction 'to the point 19 whereit joins the longitudinal thread passage. The thread'leader '17, has arounded lower surface Q'Owhich extends between the points'r 18 and 19and is preferably forned in a circular curve corresponding to theswirling action of the thread during its fiight following replenishmentof filling. The side ofthe thread leader adjacent the side ldelivery eyeis c'ar'rie'd upward in a rounded curve, as at 21, to guide the threadinto the passageway leading t'o theside delivery eye, while the oppositewall 22' grad'- ually rises from the end portion 18 of the leadertowards the end of the thread director in a surface curve correspondingto the path of the swirling thread a against'which the thread strikesand by which it is guided to the control of the threaddirectoigindicated in Fig. 5, as the shuttleis picked followingreplenishment of filling.

The surface curve ofthe wall 22 lof the thread leader is continuedupwardly and over the end of the thread director as at 22X in the formof an overhang which, as will further appear, not only directs theswirling thread to insure preliminary threading, but once suchpreliminary threading is effected, a'ctsin conjunction with the threadcatch, to be described, to prevent unthreading,

either by the vaction of thethread itself or i by the weft fork on theyfollowi'ngbeat up.

The end of the thread director is provided with a thread catch 23 whichextends .downwardly from the end ofthe director in close proximity tothe curved surface 22 of the thread leader and has its outersur'face 28Xrounded in a downward curve close to the surface curve and correspondingwith 22 of the thread leader. The thread catch 23 is undercut orprovided with a guide 2li at the side adjacent the side Ydelivery eyeinto which the thread naturally swings as- Y the shuttle is pickedfollowingjreplenishment, the relation of the thread catch andV thethread leader being such that oncethe' thread isengaged with the threadcatch, it

Ain the present invention is diagonally arranged with relation to thelongitudinal axis of the shuttle, such that the lead of the fillingthread from the point of its attachment to the shuttle will naturallyoccupy the Ythread leader. As the shuttle is picked followingreplenishment, the thread will swirl or balloon from the filling-carrierin thel shuttle around the fixed point to which the' filling isyattached, and in such swirling movement, due to the direction of thethread leader, the swirling thread a will engage the surface of thethread leader and be by it directed downwardly into the bottom portionof the threadleader and on its lupward rise will naturally swing intoengagement Vwith the thread catch 23, as indicated in v Once the threadhas been 'caught by the thread catch during its flight afterreplenishment the swirling action of the thread, as it is unwound fromthe bobbin, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 1, will center about thethread ycatch 23, and inasmuch as there is no obstruction in the threadpassage for such swirling Vaction, the thread is free to take itsnatural course. lVhen, however,

Fig. 5.

Vthe shuttle isV returned to the replenishing box, the thread will passthrough the guideway along the edge of the thread director into the sidedelivery eye, as indicated in Fig. 3, and at 'such' time will bear uponthe recessed portion of the `bridge 13 inthe threading block, with theresult that the thread may now swirl or balloon as it is drawn from thebobbin about the bridge as a center, as indicated by dotted lines inFig. l and by full lines in Fig. 3.

W'hen the partially threaded shuttle reaches the non-replenishing boxand the lay beats up, the shuttle is partially threaded: that is, thethread a, is caught by the thread catch 23 and leads to the fixed pointwhere all of the threads in the hopper are secured. As the lay 25 beatsup, the filling fork 26 engages the thread, as indicated in Fig. 2, withthe result that the thread a is pushed back andy upwardly from thethread leader, but owing to the rise and overhang of the thread leaderabove the downturned thread catch, no tendency is exerted for disturbingthe engagement of the thread with the thread catch. This is due to twocauses; first the character of the catch itself, and second, itsrelation to the walls of the thread leader which causes an abrupt risein the thread from the thread catch over the top of the wall of thethread leader, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Since the longitudinally extending thread passage leading from thebobbin chamber offers no Vobstruction to the natural swirl of the threadwhen it is first picked following replenishment, such swirl extendssubstantially throughout the entire length of the thread to the point ofattachment at the hopper, and the thread in its circular path engagesthe abrupt wall 22 of the thread leader and is directed by its naturalswirl into engagement with the thread catch, as indicated at 25. lVhenonce engaged with the'thread catch, the swirling action of the threadwill take place about the thread catch as a center on the'irst pick ofthe shuttle following replenishment, and on the next excursion oftheshuttle towards the replenishing box the thread a will be guided intothe side delivery eye, as indicated in, Fig. 3, and at such time `thethread may swirl or balloon freelyin the thread passage about the bridgel13 Vas a center.

From the construction described it will be Vunderstood that the freenatural swing Vor swirl of the thread linds no obstruction in the openthread passage as the shuttle is picked from the replenishing box afterreplenishment, and such natural swirl of thev thread insures thepreliminary threading of the shuttle or the engagement of the thread bythe thread catch due to the directing influence of the diagonallyarranged and abrupt wall of the thread leader which extends in adirection substantially coincident with a line between the thread catchand the point of attachment of the threads,and the wall of the threadleader further insures that when the shuttle is partially threaded,

lthe action of the weft fork in pushing back the thread, causes it toremain in positive engagement with the thread catch as it rises over thetop of the wall of the thread leader. l

During subsequent weaving when the shuttle is fully threaded, should aloop occur and be'thrown lto the 'side of the shuttle opposite the sidedelivery eye, the Wall of the thread leader will still maintain the`scribed, before it reaches the non-replenishing box, after whichunthreading of the shuttle is prevented by the cooperating control ofthe thread leader and thread catch, even though the weight of the weftfork is such as to carry thethreadbackward during the following beat up.The absence of the usual guards and overhangs at thetop of thethreadpassage permits Vthe thread to swirl in its natural path withoutobstruction and through such thread movement insures shuttle threadingwhich is not the case when the thread movement is'` obstructed; i Y

To control or limit the swirling action of the thread as its iswithdrawn from the bobbin during weaving, it is sometimes desirable toprovide means to confine the initia tion of. the swirl to a point'adjacent the end ofv the bobbin,iand` inthe present instance such meansis shown as a brush or bristles 27 secured to the shuttle and extendinginto engagement with or closely adjacent to the end portion of thebobbin, as indicated in Fig. 1. When suchmeans employed,A the swirlingaction of the thread commences at or adjacent the lti p end of thebobbin. f Y

lVhat is claimed is: y l

l. In an. automatically threading shuttle for looms, the combination ofthe shuttle body having a longitudinallyV extending thread passage andside delivery eye, a bridge over which the thread passes to the sidedeliveryy eye and constituting the ballooning center for the thread inthe thread passage during weaving when the shuttle is completelythreaded, a thread director frontward of the side delivery eye andhaving aA thread catch constituting the ballooningcenter for the thread'during weaving when the shuttle is only partially threaded.

2. VIn an automatically threading loom shuttle, the combination of thevshuttle body having a thread director and a' longitudinally extendingthread passage rearward thereof constructed and arranged to permit thenatural swirling movement of the thread in the thread passage about acenter trans- -versely adjacent the side delivery eye when .from thecontroly of th-edirector whenthe thread balloons about the end o'i thedirector las a center.

3. An automatically threading loom shuttle havinga .side delivery eyeand a longitudinally extending thread passage construct- 4ed andarranged to permit the vthread yto swirl or balloon naturally .from thefilling carrier to insure vshuttle threading as the shuttle is pickedfollowing replenishment,

and a thread director lfor `directing the thread to the side deliveryeye'zas'the shut tle is yagain picked intheY opposite direction andprovided with za .thread catch to retain control 4of the ithrea'd'whenthe shuttle is partially threaded.

4;. In an automatically threading ll'oom shuttle, ra threading blockprovided with a longitudinal thread passage having a topopening'coextensive with the thread: passage to permit free unobstructedswirling movement of the thread, a thread director provided with athread catch eiitending downfrom the end lof the director and yaboutwhich as a center thethread may balloon when the shuttle'is pickedAandis partially unthreaded.V

v5. An'zautomatically threading'loom shuttle having aside delivery eye.provided with av tlrreadingfb'lock having a thread passageextendinglongitudinally of the 4shuttle and an ope-n top coextensilveinwidthwith the thread passage 'to :permit-free swirling or ballooningmovement of'thethread as the shuttle is picked following replenishment,a thread 'director orldirectingthethread to the side vdelivery-'eye onthe vr'following pick and having a downwardly extending thread catch atits endV which prevents untl'ireading of the shuttle l'when once thethread is engaged' bythe catch.

6. An automatically threading loom shut- -tle having aside delivery eye,a threading block having a longitudinally extending thread passage andawide open top for'the unobstructed entranceoi the-thread as'the shuttle'is picked, athread directorhaving a thread catch, a threadleader-formed in the wood of the shuttle rontward of thevthreading blockand provided with lan abruptwall over-Which the thread may be.delected'by the' weit fork to prevent Iunthreading.

7. An automatically threading loomshut tle having an lunobstructedthread passage inw'hich theVY thread may-swirl or balloon as is .againpicked'.

'8. An automatically` threading loom. shut-- tle having-an unobstructedthread p assage in which the thread 'may yfswirl `or l,balloon l'as theshuttle Ais picked, 4a thread lleader formed in the woodof'theshuttlefand eX- tending diagonally vin substantially lthe-lead ci'the'thread asthe ishuttle ispicked following replenishment, the rear"wall ofthe leader rising abruptly,jand1 athrea'd 'director having 4athread' catch to, engage the l thread as it is deflected by the abruptwallldue' to the swirling movement of the Vthreaduasit lis withdrawnVfrom'. the' shuttle.

9. rien-automatically threading.' loom` shuttle having-,aflongitudinally extending thread passage provided with an open topsubstantially the width of the thread passageianfl offering. noobsntructiony tothe natural swirling movement: of the thread lasit i-swithdrawn rom'the shuttle,:an'd a thread director Ihavin'ga thread catchfor .enga-gement vof the thread due to thread movement .as tfhe'sh'uttleis Ipicked following replenishment.

A10. An automatically threading loom shuttle having van openlongitudinally -i'eX- tending thread passage oiierin'gno 4obstruction tothe swirling movement of the thread `asthe shuttleisfpicked, a threaddirector having a Idownwardly extending thread catch, and aV threadleader formed inthe shuttle wood andv having 'a surfacec'urve in:conformation with the swirling `movementfof the'threadas it ispickedlollowing"rcplenishment and providediwit'h an overhang a'bovethe threadcatch to prevent' unthreading yby the weitfork on the beatup followingreplenishment.

1l. An automatically threading shuttle having an openV thread passage'oii'ere ingno obstruction to the swirlingy mo'ven'ient of the threadduring iweaving, thread. leader termed in thefshuttle wood in thedirection oiy the lead ol the thread following replenishment fand tprovided with sa surface curved incon'torinity with they swirling pathof ther thread which terminates adjacent the threadi ypassage' inan,-overhan-g,- and a thread director having l'a 'thread catch extendingdownwardly therefrom beneath the overhang and provided writh'its-ontersurface curved4 inconformity` wfit'h the .curve of and adjacent to thet'rear wallfof vthe thread leader.

Intestirnony whereof, I'have signed my namento thisjspeciilication.

i 'WALLACE IJSTIMPSON.

' loom l

